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Ranking the Top 10 Quarterbacks in College Football Through Two Weeks

From big-game performers to fast risers, this group of signal-callers has defined the early stages of the 2026 season.
Zach Koons|
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah has already thrown eight touchdowns this season with a 91.1% completion percentage.
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah has already thrown eight touchdowns this season with a 91.1% completion percentage. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Miami (FL) HurricanesUSC TrojansOle Miss RebelsMississippi State BulldogsGeorgia BulldogsNotre Dame Fighting IrishSMU MustangsTexas LonghornsOklahoma State CowboysOhio State Buckeyes

The 2026 college football quarterback landscape is starting to take shape. Now that almost every FBS team has two games in the rearview mirror, there’s plenty to analyze, from the top-notch performers to those who haven’t quite lived up to the billing. 

After judging just a single game in Week 1, we’ll now rank the top 10 based on their body of work across two games. Level of competition is still taken into account, meaning you’d have to do something exceptional against FCS opponents to break into the list.

We’ll also take a look back at where we had these 10 signal-callers in Sports Illustrated’s preseason Power 4 rankings and eat some crow where needed. But remember: We’re only two weeks into the regular season. There’s still so much football left to play and those who sit atop this list in mid-September may not be there come Thanksgiving weekend. 

Let’s get to the rankings:

Honorable Mention (in order): Josh Hoover, Indiana (preseason rank: No. 10); Austin Simmons, Missouri (No. 38); Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville (No. 41); Bear Bachmeier, BYU (No. 19); Devon Dampier, Utah (No. 13) 

10. Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Preseason rank: No. 2

Sayin may get docked for Ohio State’s second-half collapse against Texas, and though he wasn’t faultless, I don’t think he’s the most to blame for what happened. The ball largely was taken out of his hands (mostly because of the Longhorns dominating the time of possession) and up until the second half he was expertly helming the Buckeyes’ high-powered offense. That said, here’s the comparison. Through the first six quarters of his 2026 campaign: 33 for 41 (80.5%), 512 yards, five total touchdowns. In the final two quarters against Texas: 5 for 16 (31.3%), 86 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception. 

9. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

Preseason rank: No. 11

Concern about the Pokes’ new QB peaked in Week 1 after a loss to Tulsa brought optimism about the Eric Morris era to a screeching halt. But Oklahoma State’s issues extended far beyond Mestemaker in that outing, including an offensive line that allowed 10 hurries. Morris and Mestemaker adjusted back at home against Oregon, getting Mestemaker on the move and out of the pocket, allowing him to make plays off schedule. He racked up 109 rushing yards and a leaping touchdown run to pair with 317 passing yards and two more scores, featuring some sensational touch passes. An early interception rate over 4% isn’t great, but both picks against Oregon came on balls batted at the line of scrimmage. That’s partially on Mestemaker, no question, but it’s something you can live with if he’s going to produce like he did the rest of the game.

8. Arch Manning, Texas

Preseason rank: No. 6

Whereas Sayin’s production fell off a cliff in Austin late Saturday night, Manning rose to the occasion with his back against the wall and put together the sort of big-game performance the college football community had been waiting with bated breath to see. He went 16 for 23 in the second half with a touchdown and more importantly, two fourth-down conversions—the first of which saw him keep the play alive with his legs and find a receiver in the nick of time and the second of which he delivered on a rope into a small window. That sort of performance came after everything out of Manning’s control went wrong in the first half, between the wacky interception and Ryan Wingo dropping a would-be touchdown, and is the best two quarters of quarterback play I’ve seen against top-tier competition so far this season. 

7. Kevin Jennings, SMU

Preseason rank: No. 20

The Jennings we’ve seen for the past four years at SMU is back with his penchant for big plays and the occasional big turnover, but it’s far more of the former through two starts. He leads FBS in yards per attempt through two games (14.8) and trails only Northwestern’s Aidan Chiles, who’s made just one start, in yards per completion (19.5). Those numbers won’t last, but early indications suggest this is a more efficient Jennings, posting a gaudy 243.9 efficiency rating (third in FBS) this far. He was sharp on the road at Florida State, a tough place to play, and then torched UC Davis for 337 yards and five touchdowns in a half. So long as he can avoid the costly mistakes, Jennings is a real threat to lead the Power 4 in passing yards.

6. CJ Carr, Notre Dame 

Preseason rank: No. 3

Don’t overlook a slower-than-anticipated start from Carr, who turned the jets on in the second half against Wisconsin. He went 9 for 12 over the final two quarters to put the game on ice and rode that momentum right into a blowout of Rice. Carr was surgical in the first half against a lower-end American Conference team, leading the Irish to six touchdowns in the seven drives he played. And he also hasn’t needed to take risks. Notre Dame’s running game is potent again, meaning Carr just needs to stay clean (zero interceptions and just one fumble, which the Irish recovered) and make throws when needed. Like the one below, where he took his time, rolled out of the pocket and delivered a strike into the back of the end zone

5. Gunner Stockton, Georgia 

Preseason rank: No. 15

Stockton is the only player in the top 10 who hasn’t played an opponent that I would put in the same stratosphere as Georgia, but the numbers and the eye test are too good to pass up. He’s played fewer than four quarters across two games and still has eight touchdowns on 32 attempts (a 25% touchdown rate) and a passer efficiency rating of 284.5 (leading FBS). The Bulldogs have scored a touchdown on every drive that Stockon has been out on the field for and he’s been able to stay back in the pocket and not take hits—he has just one carry for three yards and has taken no sacks. That’s the ideal recipe for Kirby Smart, who needs to protect his quarterback before the gauntlet of SEC play. Stockton has rewarded his head coach by being lights out. 

4. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State 

Preseason rank: No. 54

The fastest riser through two weeks resides in Starkville, Miss., and is quickly putting the college football world on notice. Taylor showed he was more than just a one-throw wonder with sheer domination against Minnesota, a program expected in the preseason to have one of the better defenses in the Big Ten. Taylor is the early SEC leader in passing and has also already rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown. His biggest test yet comes with a trip to South Carolina and a duel against fellow dual-threat LaNorris Sellers, but if Taylor passes that, Mississippi State could be in for a special year.

3. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss 

Preseason rank: No. 1

When I think about what quarterback I would want for one drive, trailing by three points with two minutes to go, Chambliss is the undisputed answer. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what he did in the opener against Louisville, finishing off a 261-yard, three-touchdown second half with a game-winning drive in which he had the ball in his hands for six of the seven plays. Chambliss followed that statement of intent up with an effortless showing against Charlotte (23 for 26 for 225 yards and two touchdowns on 43 snaps), setting the stage to welcome his old head coach Lane Kiffin back to Oxford, Miss., this Saturday. If Chambliss outduels Sam Leavitt, he should take the No. 1 spot on this list right back. 

2. Jayden Maiava, USC 

Preseason rank: No. 8

One of the few quarterbacks we’ve gotten to see three times, Maiava is humming right along. He already has 10 touchdowns and finally threw his first interception against Louisiana this past week, but that one mistake has been completely outweighed by his 208.8 efficiency rating (eighth in FBS). He also showed an impressive ability to bounce back after that mistake against the Ragin’ Cajuns, throwing for five touchdowns at a 73.1% completion rate after three straight incompletions and the pick to start the game. Maiava’s growth is evident and though he’s mostly beaten up on inferior opponents, the tape suggests he’ll be ready for matchups later in the season against the Big Ten’s elite. 

1. Darian Mensah, Miami

Preseason rank: No. 5

The Hurricanes have been frightening through two games against a rebuilding Stanford and the SWAC’s Florida A&M and it isn’t just because of Malachi Toney. Mensah fits into the mold that Miami built around him seamlessly and the pay off has already been massive. The Duke transfer leads the nation in ESPN’s QBR (96.5) and completion percentage (91.1%). He’s also thrown double the amount of touchdowns (eight) as he has incompletions (four) through two games. That led the Canes to average 61 points across two games (trailing only Georgia in FBS), having averaged 10 yards per play in that span. Mensah has been the driving force for that offense and has completely kept the ball out of harm’s way in what’s been a nearly flawless start in Miami.

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Zach Koons
ZACH KOONS

Zach Koons is a programming editor at Sports Illustrated who frequently writes about Formula One. He joined SI as a Breaking and Trending News writer in February 2022 before joining the programming team in 2023. Koons previously worked at The Spun and interned for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He currently hosts the “Bleav in Northwestern” podcast and received a bachelor’s in journalism from Northwestern University.

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